Burial-casket.



, No- 790,648 PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

- c. E. MYERS.

" BURIAL GASKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 13,1905.

' z spams-SHEET 1.

No. 790,648. PATE'NTED MAY 23, 1905.

- I c. E.-MYE.RS.

BURIAL CASKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13,1905.

I 2 HEETS-BHBET z.

UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

CHARLES E. MYERS, or DETROIT, Micrne N.

BURlAL-GASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,648, dated Iriay 23, 1905.

Application filed March 13, 1905. Serial No. 249,719.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial-Caskets; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I

This invention relates to burial-caskets of the couch pattern; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed out particularly in the claims. The object of the invention is to produce a casket of the character described wherein the arrangement is such as to enable the couch effect to be produced without dividing the entire casket-body longitudinally, as is common hinged to and folding outwardly with the hinged portion of the front side.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a casket embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is an end view showing the side and end dropped and the top divided, one part of the top being attached to the dropped side and the other to the stationary back. Fig. 5 is a front elevation with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a .plan view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of one of the ends and a part of the back, showing the manner in which the dividing cut is made through the end and riser-molding.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1

designates the back of the casket, which is surmounted by the integral riser-molding 2, that extends around the body of the casket at the top. The ends 3 of the casket are joined permanently to the back and are each provided with a drop-section 4:, divided from the rigid portion of the end upon a,horizontal line 5 and a vertical line 6, said line 6 passing obliquely through the riser-molding 2, as at 7, and terminating at a point near the rear upper edge of. said molding, and both of said lines 6 and 7 being cut ona bevel. The drop portions or sections 4 of the ends are joined at the corners with the drop portion 8 of the front side by means of a miter-joint 9, so as to cause said parts to fit perfectly together at the corner when the drop portions of the ends and the hinged drop portion of the side are raised, as in the normal position of the casket. The hinged or drop portion 8 of the front side is joined to the remaining rigid portion 10 of the front by means of the hinges 11, while the end portions 4. are connected to the rigid part of the ends by means of the hinges 12. I

The top is divided into two sections, comprising a rear section 13, hinged at 14 to the top of the riser-molding at the back, and of a front section 15, hinged at 16 to the top of the front riser-molding along the upper edge of the seotion'8 of the front side. By this arrange ment a portion of the top is folded outwardly with the drop side of the casket and a portion is adapted to be swung upwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The line upon which the top is divided describes a scroll, whereby an ornate effect is produced when the casket is opened.

By joiningthe folding sections of the ends and side atthe corners through the medium of a miter-joint and by cutting the risermolding at the ends obliquely, as well as on a beveLand cutting downwardly through the ends below said riser-molding, also on a bevel, a joint is formed between the severed parts, which enables them to be brought firmly together when the casket is closed, so that the hinged portions or members are rigidly supported along the line of cutting, and provision I is made at the same time for concealing the ICO joint to such an extent as to render it scarcely discernable when the casket is trimmed or covered. The beveled meeting faces of the severed parts when brought together serve to afford stops for the hinge members, which arrest them when properly in place and obviate the use of any additional stops or shoulders to support and sustain said parts.

By means of the arrangement herein shown a couch-casket is formed which enables the dropping of either or both ends with the side and which is of such a construction as to render the casket strong and rigid when closed, notwithstanding the hinging and dividing of its ends and side, for the reason that the body of the casket is firmly braced by the solid back and the solid portions of the ends which are permanently secured thereto, and the fur ther reason of the engagement of the beveled and mitered faces of the hinged parts.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A burial-casket. comprisinga rigid back, ends permanently secured to said back, said ends having hinged sections adapted to fold outwardly, a front having a hinged section adapted to fold outwardly, there being a miter-joint between the hinged end portions and the hinged side portion at the corners of the casket.

-2. A casket, comprising a rigid back, rigid ends supporting said back, a hinged end section forming the upper forward portion of the end divided from the remaining portion of the end upon a horizontal line and a substantiallyvertical line, the cutting upon the substantially vertical line which separates the hinged portion of the end from the remaining fixed portion being on a bevel, whereby the hinged portion is supported when raised by the meeting beveled faces of said parts.

3. A burial-casket, comprising a solid back, solid ends supporting the back, a hinged end portion cut from the solid end upon a bevel in a substantially vertical plane and upon a straight out in a horizontal plane, the front side of the casket having a hinged drop-seetion and the joint between the hinged end portion and the hinged front section being mitered at the corner where said hinged parts meet, whereby they serve as a support for each other when in their raised position.

4. A casket, comprising a solid back, rigid ends supporting said back, said ends being cut downwardly on a bevel at a point remote from the back and horizontally from said beveled cut outwardly to the front, the sections thus cut from the ends being hinged to the remaining portion thereof to form end drop-sections, the front side being cut horizontally on a plane with the horizontal ends, forming a drop front section which is hinged to the fixed portion of the front, said hinged front and end sections being provided with miter-joints where they meet at the corners of the casket when folded upwardly.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. MYERS.

\Vitnesses:

E. S. WHEELER, 1. G. I-IowLn'rT. 

